A number of different implements are known which incorporate weeding or cutting knives, sometimes known as sweeps or sweep blades, which in use operate below the surface of soil and which are designed to sever the roots or stems of plants such as weeds or trees as they travel through the soil. In one form the implements are dedicated tools and comprise a rigid cutting blade. Alternatively weeding implements can be in the form of a rod which may be supported from a toolbar trailed from a prime mover such as a tractor so as to extend transversely relative to the direction of travel and which can be driven to rotate about its longitudinal axis. Implements of the above described type are required to be strongly constructed in a heavy gauge such as to carry out their required function. Consequently, these implements tend to disturb the soil more than is necessary or wanted.
Other forms of cutting knives for weeding are either in, or arranged in, a generally V-shaped configuration and secured rigidly to a tool shank normally to the trailing edge thereof. A disadvantage of this form of implement is that when the cutting knives engage roots or stems, the load applied to the knives is transferred as a twisting or torsional load to the tool shank. If the load is too high for example if a large stem or root or other obstruction is encountered by one of the knives, the twisting load transferred to the shank may be sufficient to damage the shank for example break off portion of the shank.
Sowing of seeds is also achieved in many different ways often in combined equipment for example in equipment which uses a plurality of transversely spaced apart furrow forming tynes for penetrating the ground and air seeding apparatus which feeds seeds to respective seed boots which are mounted to the rear of each tyne for supplying seeds into the furrows formed by the tynes. In addition to the supplying of seed, the seed boots may also be used to place fertilizer or other granular/liquid materials into the soil. The above type of equipment requires a plurality of tynes and a similar number of seed boots to feed the seeds/fertilizer into the ground. After a period of time, the mounting of the seed boots to the tynes tends to become worn resulting in significant movement of the seed boots relative to the tynes. This can result in seeds or fertilizer being placed in incorrect positions in the ground particularly when the implement is being used at high speeds.
It would be desirable if an implement was available which addressed one or more of the above disadvantages or which at least provided an effective alternative to the presently known implements. In particular it would be desirable if an implement was available which enabled both working of the soil as well as the application of seeds, fertilizer or other material or liquid into the ground or soil particularly but not exclusively in regions which are not normally capable of being easily cultivated.